Improvement in corn-planters



M. O. SKREE.

CORN-PLAN'IER.

No.1ea,es3 Patented March 20,1877.

N, PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C,

PATENT Qrrrcn MICHAEL O. SKBEE, OF HOUSTON, MINNESOTA.

IM PROVEMENT lN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,1i83, dated March 20, 1877 application filed October 23, 1876.

1 01a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL 0. SKREE, of Houston, in the county of Houston and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a top plan, the seedbox being removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the wheel being removed. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is the frame M detached, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the mechanism for operating the feed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to that class of cornplanters in which the feed-motion consists in a reciprocating slide, operated by suitable mechanism; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully shown and described.

In the drawing, A is'the axle of my improved corn-planter. This consists of two pieces, a a, united by a collar, b, which is secured upon one of the pieces a. The piece a terminates in a square rod, upon which slides a collar, 0, having clutches, by which it may be made to engage with corresponding clutches upon collar 12. When thus engaged, the two pieces a a of axle A revolve simultaneously; but when thrown out of gear they may revolve in either direction independently of each other. B is a lever, pivoted to a cross-piece, d, in the frame 0, in which the axle has its bearings. By means of this lever the clutch-collar 0 may be thrown out of gear. A spring, e, forces against lever B in such a manner as to keep collar 0 in gear, automatically. D is a vertical lever, pivoted to cross-piece d. It extends downward through the bottom of the feedbox, where it serves as a pivot for two hinged arms, the ends of which have slides, perforated, so as to form the measuring-cups, by which the quantity of seed to be sown in each hill is determined.

The lever D is operated by projections e upon collar 0, which, when the axle A is revolved, by the operation of the machine, strike against it, and cause it to operate the feedslides. A suitably-arranged spring serves to return the lever I.) automatically to its normal position. The slides and arms are placed in the double bottom of the seed-box, which is perforated in the usual manner.

To the front end of frame 0 is hinged another frame, E, to the rear end of which the seed-box F is secured. The seed-box, which has two (or more) seed-compartments, k 70, thus slides, when frame E is raised or lowered, between the beams and cross-pieces of which frame 0 is constructed. On the under side of seed-box F are the tubes t, through which the seed is conducted to the ground, and the rear side of frame E is provided with handles H, by which it may be lifted in order to place the machine in proper position upon the tield.

To the front end of the lower frame E are hinged short stout beams G, to the end of each of which are hinged two other beams, K K. The beams G are equipped with the cultivator-blades for making the furrows in front of the seed-tubes, and the beams K K carry the shovel-blades, by which the seed, when sown, is covered up. The beams G K are preferably hinged together by bolts having set-screws, by which they may be secured at any desirable angle to each other. The ends of the beams K are all attached to a rod, L, which thus forms, with beams G K and the front braces l, a complete frame, M, which may be raised or lowered by raising or lowering the rod L.

N is a cam-lever, pivoted to the rear side of frame 0, and united, by a rope or chain, it, to the rod L of frame M. Thus, by operating lever N, the frame M may be raised or lowered to suit the convenience of the operator. Two (or more) projections, 0 0, on the rear side of frame 0, serve to keep the lever N in its proper position.

- O is a short stout rod secured to lever N at a right angle thereto. The object of this, when the frame M is lowered, is to press against the frame E and prevent this and the seed-box from jolting or becoming displaced in case the ground should be rough and uneven. When the frame M is raised, preparatory to turning a corner or stopping the operation of the machine, the rod 0 strikes against a bent projecting metal rod secured to lever B, which is thus operated. The result of this operation is to disengage the clutch-collars b c from each other, thus preventing the projections e upon collar 0 from operating lever D, and thereby instantly stopping the feed.

The wheels P of my improved corn-planter are provided with markers 10 1), consisting of blocks of wood or other suitable material secured upon them at suitable equal intervals, the distance between the markers being equal to the intended interval between the cornhills.

The operation of my improved corn-planter will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The seed-corn is placed in the compartments k k of seed-box F, which is now lowered by lowering frame M, and with it frame E, in which the seed-box rests. By this operation the months or openings of the seed-spouts tare brought down close to the ground, the result of which is that the seed will, by necessity, fall in the exact places intended for it--a result which, without the aid of drills, has heretofore been difficult to accomplish. My method has, besides, this advantage over drills, that the spouts t are not so easily clogged up by the earth, the cultivator-blades in front preparing a furrow of sufficient depth. The depth of the cultivator and covering blades, respectively, is easily adjusted by manipulating frame M in the manner described. The feed mechanism is also easily thrown into or out of gear, either by operating lever N or by simply inserting a wedge between lever B and the cross-piece of frame 0. When the feed mechanism is out of gear the wheels P P are capable of revolving independently of each other in difierent directions, thus rendering the machine more easy to manipulate than if this were not the case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a corn or seed planter, the combinanation of the frame 0, having bearings for the axle A with the hinged frame E carrying seedbox F, the latter sliding vertically in frame 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of frame G, axle A, consisting of pieces a a, clutch-collars b 0, levers B N, the latter having rod 0, and hinged frame M, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The frame E, having feed-box F and feeding mechanism, as herein described, in combination with the frame 0, lever N having rod 0, levers B D, axle a a, and clutch-collars b 0, all combined and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the pur pose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL 0. SKREE, V

Witnesses:

G. A. Snow, WM. BAG-GER. 

